I love going to the movies!

We had a great weekend!  We went to to see Kick Ass 2 on Saturday, and we LOVED it!  It just so happens that we love Kick Ass, so the sequel wasn't much of a stretch for us.  On Sunday, we spent a rainy day at the beach.  I love a rainy beach day.  You can see when the next batch of rain is coming and there aren't as many people there to grapple with for a good spot.

For whatever reason this week, classic horror movies have been my thing.  I watched a string of classics while writing my PA school application essays.  It was a weird combination and it was magical.  I'm telling you, I love movies!

I'm also hell bent on discovering the hidden gems of Netflix.  For example, we watched "The Road" this weekend.  It was a very good and very different post-apocalypse.  I would be very interested to learn of any more lesser-known treasures hidden in the depths of Netflix's files.  We've been lucky to finally have some rainy evenings to really enjoy all of this movie watching!  I hope there's more to come soon!!

Master of Science

It finally happened!  We went back to Ohio this past weekend for my master's graduation ceremony!  It feels so great to finally have that chapter in my closing.  Even though the flight was expensive, I'm really glad that my husband could come share my first college graduation ceremony with me (I didn't walk for my bachelor's because I was a bride's maid that day).  I also felt special with my fancy master's hood.  

I've also finally fixed my poor neglected car!  She has her door trim reattached, and her exhaust is welded back on to the muffler!  No longer does she sound or look like a hill billy.  And the paperwork continues.  Now that she's in order, I can get the title put in my new name etc.  We're also playing the health insurance game.   

Some awesome news:  I bought some water colors and created some beastly paintings!!  I've had some ideas for paintings in my mind for almost a year now, and I've finally followed through on them.   Painting is one of those things for me that can go one way or another.  I either fall miserably short of my expectations, or exceed them by leaps and bounds.  Fortunately this time, I exceeded them.  I love getting on a creative roll.  It makes me feel super capable.  Hopefully I can keep it going and apply it to some useful projects we need completed around the apartment.  

Well I'm in the middle of cooking dinner!  Until Sunday!

I declare vendetta against my mail lady.

    Finally.  I finally got my new drivers license in the mail on friday.  It took a full month to get it in the mail.  The state of texas does this goofy thing, where they print you out a sheet of paper with your picture and license info on it.  The real thing couldn't have come at a better time.  I wasn't so sure that the airports outside of texas would be cool with my little print out.

     So the delay isn't really my mail lady's fault as far as I can tell.  On the other hand, she did put it in the wrong mailbox.  My foreign neighbors took the liberty of opening my mail before bringing it to me.  Better than pitching it without looking I guess.

    Why do I feud with my mail carrier?  Breach of package delivery protocol.  Here's how a typical package delivery goes at our apartment:

USPS tracking website says the package is delivered.
Interesting, I see no such package.
Leasing office?  No, they haven't seen it either...
Post office?  What package?  How do you spell your name again?

   Typically I do this circle of checkpoints for 1-4 days before my desired parcel is in my possession.  Ultimately the post office tells me to call them early in the morning and ask for my postal carrier before she leaves for deliveries.  Then she and I struggle to communicate given her Engrish, and I continue to circle my checkpoints as she recommends.  

Good news?  I made cheese! I made cream cheese and used some of the whey to make my own lacto-fermented ketchup!  The cream cheese and the ketchup are both delicious and I am really encouraged to continue with the transformation of my fridge!!  If you take any ideas from this blog, it should be to make your own ketchup.  So good!!

Summary: My mail lady irked me.  I went on a rage jog and came home and made ketchup and cleaned my bunny's cage.  I'm considering hosting a dinner simply to show off my ketchup.

Hmmm... this isn't Sunday.....

Not sure why I forgot to write this weekend...

We got our wedding photo-books in the mail last week!!  I decided to have them made as gifts for our parents and siblings for being so awesome and helpful.  Luckily they came in in time for me to send an extra one with my father-in-law on his trip to Nigeria.  I'll be giving my family members theirs when we  get to Ohio for my graduation ceremony :)  

That's right.  The master's thesis is done.  It is out of my hands and the next time I look at it, it will be bound as a book and looking awesome!  So now I just have to complete and submit my PA school and vet school applications.  I wish it wasn't so expensive to apply to school programs.  It's an odd and unfortunate truth that your choices in school applications can be limited by your wallet's status.

The school stuff is moving forward, but my name change is still in limbo.  The state of Tejas has opted to withhold my driver's license for no apparent reason.  They claim that my license was put in the mail July 15th, but that I must allow until August 15th for it to arrive.  Bull. Shit.  I really can't wait for that silly thing to get here.  I'm not entirely sure that the paper temporary license they gave me will please the airport security when we fly to Ohio next weekend.  Only one way to find out.

I ordered the buttermilk cultures I need to begin my Nourishing Traditions fridge transformation.  Once they get here I can begin to preserve my own condiments and other prepared ingredients.  I can't wait!! I already bought my ball jars and am keeping an eye out for other handy glass storage for my concoctions.